Where is your passport while you're on board?

[Last Mango]

I've read several posts about passports and I'm confused. Some state that the cruise line holds your passport for the duration of the cruise; others say you keep it with you.

 

We're travelling later this month on the Norweigan Spirit out of NYC for a Caribbean cruise. Does it make any difference that we're not American? We're Canadian.

 

Hubby has cruised to Alaska so there wasn't a passport question at that time. We cruised with Princess last year and we kept them with us.

 

TIA

[LHT28]

No difference they will either hold your passport or return it to you depending on the ports visited.

On European cruise they have held our passports but on a recent Mexican Riviera they gave right back to us after check in.

 

Make photo copies of them and keep them with you incase something should happen.

[suzeyQ]

I'm also Canadian and we've always had our passports taken and held by the cruise staff for the entire trip. You get them back the morning you disembark.

[brandylaw]

On my one and only cruise to date, Carnival's Conquest Aug 03 out of New Orleans, they did not take my passport. I kept it the entire time.

I am an American by the way.

:D

[Keishaw]

Hi Tia,

We just did the Eastern Caribbean on the Mariner, and we are Canadian.

I found it a bit odd that we were told that our passports would be held for us, and it was inferred that it would be for the whole time. But then when we disembarked at either Cococay or St. Thomas (I forget which one) - we were handed them on the way off the ship (non-Americans were routed a different way). I was kind of expecting that we'd have to give them back when we got back on the ship, but we were never asked for them again, and we kept them for the remainder of the trip, in the safe!

I made photocopies of everyone's passports, in every piece of luggage. Probably overkill, but good peace of mind.

Karen

[tessa_59]

We did not have passports on our first cruise. I have taken 2 cruises in the past 2 years with the passport and no one has ever taken it. They look at it when we check in, and then we put it in the safe except for when we are in port. While on excursions, etc we carry them with us. I wonder if there is a difference dependent on what country you depart from. I am an American and have always departed from the US.

[Cotton]

While reading the boards, I've seen many posts from folks saying that any non-US citizen had to surrender his/her passport to the purser for the duration of the cruise. Check with your cruiseline to make sure, if it's an issue for you.:)

[LHT28]

If you are cruising the Caribbean or Mexican ports you usually DON'T have to surrender your passport.

 

If you are cruising Europe and other parts of the world you usually DO!

[CruisinMatt]

When I have cruised in South America and in Europe the cruise line held the passports. In the Caribbean, they did not.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Either check with your cruise line yourself or have your TA do it for you - even that isn't a sure bet as sometimes the rules change once you are on the ship.

 

We did South America a couple of years - Americans - never had our passports taken.

 

And we always keep them in the safe.

[Last Mango]

If you are cruising the Caribbean or Mexican ports you usually DON'T have to surrender your passport.

 

If you are cruising Europe and other parts of the world you usually DO!

 

It sounds like this one sums up the majority of what you've said.:)

[SusieC]

We had the same experience as Keishaw. They did keep our passports until the St Thomas port at which time we got them back before doing the immigration thing. We then kept them for the remainder of the cruise. (BTW - we're Canadian as well.)

[KamloopsCruisers]

I'm a Canadian cruiser who has had her passport held by the cruiseline while sailing the Caribbean - but not always! Last cruise to Mexico, passport was not held. Can't seem to figure it out, but always carry photocopy with me when I leave the ship.

[critterchick]

US cruiser, here. The only time our passports have been taken was on a Grimaldi line ferry from Genoa to Barcelona. All non-EU citizens had to turn them in, but they were returned to us after dinner.

 

We've had 2 cruises from Barcelona on RCCL, and they have not taken our passports.